3. The Yellow Book, The Genealogy in the Book Part 1

"Hey, little comrade, wake up. We've reached the terminal station."

Feeling someone gently patting his shoulder, Qin Youming snapped his eyes open. Looking closely, he saw that it was already broad daylight outside the window, and the train had steadily docked at Beijing Station. A female conductor wearing black-rimmed glasses stood by the aisle, smiling at him. Qin Youming's awareness returned; he hurriedly thanked her, bent down to drag his canvas bag from under the seat, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked quickly toward the rear of the carriage. He could no longer recall exactly when he had fallen asleep last night, but the scene of the three people fighting fiercely in the dim carriage remained as clear in his mind as if branded there. It was like pushing open a door to a new world; his mind was filled with the terrifying aura displayed by the middle-aged man as he breathed in and out. Even in his dreams last night, he tossed and turned over nothing but this matter.

Getting off the train, Qin Youming dared not delay for a moment. He went straight to the ticket office and bought a through ticket to Harbin. Seeing that it was still early, he hastily wolfed down a few bites of a hot meal at a small stall on the station square, washed his face in the public restroom, and then, carrying his luggage, entered the waiting room.

Taking advantage of the wait, Qin Youming finally calmed down and carefully recalled the various details of last night.

Xingyi Sect? Could it be the legendary Xingyi Fist? And which side was that so-called traitor from? Was it that burly man with a withered, sallow face? Or the old man and young man who appeared later?

Although it was difficult to ascertain the true identities of both parties for the moment, Qin Youming could now almost clearly piece together the sequence of that battle. At first, the two had fought against one, originally holding an absolute advantage in numbers. But the instant the middle-aged man looked back toward Qin Youming's direction, that advantage dwindled to ten or twenty percent. To follow the tropes of wuxia novels, he had left his back to the enemy, completely losing the initiative to strike. It was precisely because of this that the two harbored resentment toward him, but unfortunately, by the time they reacted, the opportunity had passed. Added to that, the train happened to enter a tunnel and the light suddenly darkened; the sallow-faced man took advantage of the moment to launch a sudden attack. Although he repelled one person initially he then relied on cunning to force the silver-haired old man to pull back midway, which was how he barely managed to defeat the two.

Calculating this way, the traitor was most likely that sallow-faced man. Because if this man were the one pursuing the traitor, he would never have placed himself in such a disadvantageous position beforehand.

Qin Youming could not help but feel a sense of shock in his heart. These extraordinary people not only decided victory and defeat in an instant as sudden as thunder and lightning, but their struggle was also interwoven with the clash of wits and the seizing of opportunities. A single slip could cause the chance of victory to vanish in the blink of an eye. This was not a street brawl; it was clearly a fight to the death.

Time ticked away bit by bit, and the time for ticket checking and boarding was drawing closer.

"Buddy, you're from out of town, right?"

Qin Youming was just about to stand up when he suddenly felt his vision darken. Hearing the voice, he looked up and saw that a thin, short young man had appeared in front of him at some unknown time. The other man was draped in an ill-fitting, oversized military coat, clutching his collar tightly with both hands, a knit beanie pulled down over his head. He had a thievish, rat-like look about his eyes; no matter how one looked at him, he exuded a sleazy vibe.

Qin Youming's internal alarm rang loudly. He asked in a low voice, "Something I can do for you?"

The young man narrowed his eyes and smiled, revealing two rows of large yellow teeth stained with bits of leek. Meeting Qin Youming's puzzled gaze, he suddenly flipped open the sides of his coat collar.

"You son of a..."

Qin Youming thought he had encountered some kind of exhibitionist. He furrowed his thick brows and was about to strike, but when he saw clearly what the other man was clutching inside his coat, he froze completely.

The young man looked around furtively with thievish eyes while holding open his coat. Inside hung all sorts of objects. Hairpins, jewelry, glasses, as well as cassette tapes, several expired newspapers, and quite a few watches.

"I've also got all kinds of ration coupons here—meat coupons, grain coupons, cloth coupons, liquor coupons, cigarette coupons—guaranteed valid nationwide. If you're looking to get the 'Three Rotations and One Ring,' we can negotiate."

Qin Youming clicked his tongue in amazement and couldn't help but say, "The stuff you're fencing is really complete. But you've got the wrong person. I'm only seventeen; my pockets are cleaner than my face."

"Seventeen?"

Hearing this, the man widened his eyes and looked Qin Youming up and down in disbelief. "Damn, what have you been eating to grow like this? At seventeen, you're built like a calf."

Seeing he had picked the wrong customer, the young man didn't waste any more words and turned to leave. But unexpectedly, he had barely walked out when he ran back in a panic, his gaze shifting erratically. He plumped his butt down beside Qin Youming, lowered his voice, and said urgently, "Buddy, emergency in the Jianghu! Help a brother out!"

"Holy crap, brothers, scatter! The Joint Defense Team and the Industry and Commerce Bureau are here!"

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs. Suddenly, several figures darted out from the nooks and crannies of the waiting room. They were all wrapped in coats, uniformly young men, and without a word they dove into the crowd, causing a ruckus in the waiting hall. Looking at the entrance, several female comrades in gray-blue uniforms rounded their apricot eyes, hands on their hips, accompanied by station security officers, coming on aggressively and shouting as they gave chase.

As for the young man beside Qin Youming, in the blink of an eye, he pulled out a newspaper from who knows where, slipped a red armband onto his arm, and perched a pair of nearsighted glasses on the bridge of his nose. He pretended to read, looking more like a student than a student, more like an educated youth than an educated youth.

But the female comrades had clearly seen through these tricks before. Some chased into the crowd, while one came straight up to them. She gave Qin Youming a brief once-over and asked suspiciously, "Little comrade, are you going to the countryside for labor?"

"I'm going to the Northeast." Qin Youming didn't panic. As he responded, he calmly took out his identity documents from his pocket.

The female comrade took them and gave them a look. Seeing nothing wrong, she turned to the short young man beside him. "And you? What do you do? Are you two together?"

The young man held up the newspaper with both hands, his head half-lowered. His eyes darted around frantically, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. Just as he was at a loss, someone patted him on the shoulder unexpectedly. Qin Youming, holding his luggage, urged him unhurriedly, "Brother, the train is about to start checking tickets. Let's go over there quickly."

The young man reacted extremely fast. His eyes lit up as if he had seen a savior. He groped over his body, pulled out a crumpled ticket from who knows where, and laughed dryly, forcing himself to go on, "Comrade, we are together. This is my younger brother."

The female comrade frowned. "Your younger brother? Do you have identity documents? Take them out and let me see."

The young man's face stiffened, but he still reached his hand into his own pocket. Just as he was about to be exposed, Qin Youming suddenly pointed toward another crowded area in the station and said solemnly to the female comrade, "Comrade, look quickly. Is that person stealing something?"

"Where?"

Hearing this, the female comrade turned around and looked in the direction Qin Youming was pointing. At a glance, her face instantly filled with rage. Rolling up her sleeves, she strode aggressively toward that spot. Good lord, without a word, she grabbed the person by the collar and delivered several resounding slaps, swinging with full force.

Qin Youming, for his part, picked up his luggage and walked briskly toward the ticket check. Before leaving, he didn't forget to remind the young man in a low voice, "Why are you still standing there like a fool? Run."

"Ah, right, right, right."

The young man beside him snapped back to reality. Clutching his coat, he turned and ran without even having time to say thanks. Qin Youming shook his head with a smile. Seeing that the train he needed to catch had arrived, he took the opportunity to merge into the crowd boarding the train.

Since this was both a terminal and a departure station, there were even more passengers than on the previous trip—a vast, surging sea of people, stretching as far as the eye could see. Qin Youming, stuck in the crowd, felt dizzy and overwhelmed, his ears filled with diverse accents from every corner of the country. No sooner had that dark torrent flooded the platform than it immediately split into over a dozen streams, scrambling to rush toward the green-skinned train that had barely come to a stop.

Qin Youming had been trained by his father since childhood and possessed astonishing stamina. Even while carrying heavy luggage, he was able to push his way to the front. Although there were many people, fortunately, the carriages were all empty. He had bought a hard-seat ticket; there was no such thing as assigned seating. Whether one could snatch a seat depended on luck and timing, but mostly on one's own strength. Spotting a gap, Qin Youming followed the principle of striking while the iron was hot and, ahead of everyone else, seized a seat near the aisle. Only when the cold, hard touch of the wooden chair reached his bottom did he let out a long breath.

"This is killing me."

The crowd surged around him. In just a few moments, the empty carriage was packed tight. Unlike before, in this carriage alone, there were many educated youths like Qin Youming who had rushed here from various places. Moreover, he had glanced around while boarding; this entire train carried no fewer than four or five hundred people heading to the countryside to settle. With so many people, the air became foul and turbid. Some were puffing on dry tobacco, others had taken off their shoes and socks to air their smelly feet, and some were carrying freshly slaughtered poultry or the entrails of livestock, yet failed to wrap them properly, allowing the strange stench to drift wildly in the wind.

Qin Youming closed his eyes in misery, sighing inwardly and praying to reach his destination soon. But the train had barely started moving when he heard a familiar voice beside him.

"You kid have got some fast legs. I really had to hustle to catch you—I ran through five carriages before I found you."

Qin Youming opened his eyes and saw that the young man from earlier had actually squeezed his way on too. He was panting heavily, holding two oil-paper-wrapped roast chickens, looking thoroughly exhausted. Before Qin Youming could react, the young man winked and said with a grin, "I'm the type who repays kindness. Come on, I'll take you to a spacious place... sitting on these hard wooden benches, your butt crack will be worn flat in an hour. I can't stand it."

Seeing that although the young man was joking, his expression was sincere, Qin Youming stood up, yielded his seat to an elderly passenger with trouble walking, picked up his luggage, and followed him. "Why did you get on too?"

The young man laughed nonchalantly, "I couldn't not get on. There are people keeping watch outside the station; they probably want to catch us all in one dragnet. Plus, you helped me out, so I have to return the favor, don't I? Don't worry, I'm getting off in two stops. It happens all the time."

One after the other, they walked briskly through four or five crowded carriages, arriving directly in front of the sleeper carriage. The young man took out two tickets and handed them to the conductor, then winked at Qin Youming, as if showing off his capability. In these times, sleeper tickets were not easy to buy; they basically required an introduction letter and special connections, and were mostly supplied to cadres and officers.

The conductor looked at the young man, then at Qin Youming, and without asking any questions, signaled for them to enter. The young man seemed used to this; he led Qin Youming into the carriage, placed the roast chickens on the table, took off his coat, and then flipped onto the bed.

"You're going to the Northeast to settle, right? This ticket will let you sleep all the way to Harbin. It's already started snowing over there; staying in here will be a bit warmer."

The young man rested his head on his arms, crossing one leg over the other, looking like a cynical free spirit. Qin Youming sat down as well. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Hearing this, the young man grinned. "I'm just afraid you'll be polite with me. If not for you, I would have taken a huge fall today. Not only would my belongings have been confiscated, but I probably would have been locked up for a while too. That would have been a massive loss of face."

Finally, the young man added, "My surname is Sun. My given name is Sun Duhe. Those peddlers who trade stuff all call me Third Brother."

But then, the man asked with considerable curiosity, "How did you know there were thieves over there?"

Qin Youming said gently, "Mainly by eyesight. Besides, given the current times, how could the stations in Beijing and Tianjin be short of thieves? Those people take advantage of the chaos to make their move; if you're a bit observant, it's not hard to spot some clues."

Then he added, "My surname is Qin. Qin Youming."

Sun Duhe was full of surprise, clicking his tongue. "You kid are really only seventeen?"

Before Qin Youming could respond, the man stuffed a roast chicken into his hands. "I traded ten catties of sugar coupons for this. It's from Bianyifang..." But he had only smelled it when his eyelids flipped up, and he cursed irritably, "Damn, I've been had again. That bastard claimed it was from Bianyifang. I was in such a hurry chasing you earlier, I didn't have time to smell it."

Sun Duhe laughed cheerfully after speaking. "Ah, don't turn your nose up at it. Just make do."

Qin Youming smiled along. "There aren't that many demands to be made. It smells pretty good. In the countryside, some people might not get a bite of this in their whole lives."

Sun Duhe's eyes gleamed. He gave a thumbs-up. "Down-to-earth. I was the one being stingy."

As they spoke, the man began organizing the items wrapped in his coat. Without turning his head, he said, "Aside from those few watches, if you see anything else you fancy, just pick whatever. Those bastards got caught; there's a good chance I'll be implicated too. Having too much stuff makes it harder to get away."

Qin Youming had eaten quite a bit outside the station earlier, and after being fumigated by the strange smells on the train, he had no appetite right now. As for the items Sun Duhe had laid out, he wasn't very interested either. But seeing the man actually pull out a yellowed old book from the innermost layer of his coat, he asked curiously, "You deal in antiques too?"

Sun Duhe said, "This counts for shit as an antique. It's all left behind by my elders. My grandfather was an itinerant doctor in his early years; he traveled north and south and traded in quite a few strange and curious things."

At this point, Sun Duhe added with deep emotion, "Come to think of it, my family was considered wealthy in these parts back in the day. Unfortunately, the old man didn't make it through, leaving only a few tattered books from the bottom of the chest. I sold everything that could be exchanged for money. This one book doesn't show any

The two of them chatted desultorily; Sun Duhe was busy packing his things, while Qin Youming sat by the bed looking out the window. The further north they went, the bleaker the scenery outside became, with a thin layer of snow covering the fields.

Seeing that they were about to arrive, Sun Duhe suddenly opened the window and leaned out, startling Qin Youming. "What are you doing?"

Sun Duhe glanced outside and habitually gave a chuckle. "I'm afraid someone might block me at the station, so I'm not getting off at the platform."

The implication was that he intended to jump off the train early. Qin Youming hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Don't, this isn't a game."

Sun Duhe, however, looked unconcerned. "Relax. I'm an old hand at this, and besides, someone has laid down straw mats along the tracks; nothing will go wrong."

As they spoke, taking advantage of the train slowing down, he actually climbed out through the window. "When you return to the city, don't rush back. Just ask around at the capital station and you'll know where I, Old Third Sun, am. When the time comes, big brother will show you the local customs of the capital, and I guarantee you'll get a taste of authentic Bianyifang roast chicken."

Sun Duhe clung to the outside of the window, braving the biting cold wind, his mouth never idle. Qin Youming's lips twitched. "You'd better stop talking; watch your step."

Sun Duhe grinned at these words. "You kid suit my taste. Alright, see you in the jianghu; we'll talk another day."

With that, he actually jumped the hell down. But at the last moment, he casually tossed that old book back inside.

"This broken book is for you!"